Disclaimer: Characters don't belong to me.
Author's Notes: This is a brand new story, as you already know;) It's a cannon fic that I hope you'll enjoy! Happy reading:)
****
Be My Downfall
by Kristen Elizabeth
****
"May I just say, Miss Relena, tonight has been simply wonderful."
"You may." Relena Peacecraft's smile was as fixed as a marble statue and just as fake. The man currently kissing the back of her hand didn't seem to notice, however. The Environmental Minister was in his own little world, completely unaware that he'd just spent three hours talking pretty much to himself. He'd listed his accomplishments, told stories that were only humorous to him, and Relena had put up with all of it. But even her immeasurable patience was reaching its limits. "Goodnight, Marvin."
Even as she started opening the limousine's door, he held on. His chubby face was eager, and might have been almost endearing if not for the receding hairline and crooked teeth. "Might I take you out again sometime soon?"
She literally had to bite her tongue to keep her smile on her face, and to keep from flinging back some extremely sarcastic reply. "I'll have to check my calendar." Relena yanked her hand out of his slightly clammy grip and got out of the car. "Thank you for dinner."
The sleek black car pulled away; Relena turned on her heel and ran up the steps of the mansion she'd called home for the past three years. Once inside the grand foyer, she slammed the front door closed and sank against it, one hand pressed against her forehead. "I can't do this anymore!"
No one was around to hear the Earth Space United Nations President's declaration, not even her old and trusted butler, Paygan, who had likely long since gone to bed. She had come home, once again, to a silent house after yet another horrific first date.
She hated it. So much of her life was spent all alone, even when she was surrounded by people. Maybe that was why she kept accepting these dates. Some little part of her still clung to the hope that one of these young, upwardly professional, aristocratic men might be able to give her what she most wanted. A home instead of a house, children to care for, love to fill the empty places in her heart.
Everything that *he* couldn't. Wouldn't.
Relena started up the staircase, the length of gauzy organdy that had served as her stole trailing after her. At twenty-three, she appeared to have so much. She was just finishing up her first term as President after years of serving as Vice Foreign Minister, then Foreign Minister. And she was heading into elections for her second term. She was, without a doubt, the most respected person in interspatial politics. She lived in a home built for royalty. She was beautiful; she had admirers by the dozens.
And she was miserably unhappy.
Her bedroom was just as empty as the rest of the house. The bed had been turned down for the night and after discarding her jewels, her designer dress and the spiked heels that had been slowly killing her feet, Relena slid under the covers in only her satin underwear. She glanced over at the second fluffy pillow next to her.
"Are you sleeping alone tonight, Heero?" she asked out loud.
Because the thought that he might not be cut her to the core, Relena closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to envelop her. It didn't, and she was left with the disturbing idea of Heero in bed with another woman. It wasn't unlikely that he'd moved on, even if she hadn't. After all, it had been almost four years since she had seen him. The press conference announcing her decision to run for President. He'd still been with the Preventers then. Was he even now? She had no idea. She'd lost contact with them. The Preventers weren't involved in her security anymore; the President was guarded by a much more specialized branch of the military. She still communicated with Lady Une on a fairly regular basis, but as for the rest of them, they all lived separate lives now.
Except for her. She was barely living at all.
****
As Relena was staring at an empty pillow thinking of him, Heero Yuy was staring at a bleach-blonde head resting across from him, planning his escape. He couldn't say what had compelled him to go to bed with the woman; he wasn't even sure he knew her name. She was just there, like a punching bag. Something to use in order to purge unwanted emotions.
He sat up, swung his legs over the edge of the bed and ran both of his hands through his hair. What had brought on the sudden urge that had driven him here? Relena. A speech of hers that he'd caught on the international news network. Seeing her in her prim little business suit with her perfect hair pulled back from the face he'd so often wished he could erase from his memory, but would rather die than actually forget...it brought everything back.
With a low growl, Heero threw off the covers and stood up, naked in the moonlight. As he started for his clothes, the woman in the bed stirred. "Hey. Where are you going?"
He didn't look back. He only pulled on his jeans, zipping up as he replied, "I'm leaving."
"C'mon, stay. I'm always up for more...as long as you are."
Heero tugged on his black sweater. "The night's not over. You'll find another client."
"You fucking bastard."
He finally turned around, as immune now to her voluptuous nude body wrapped in the sheets as he was to her enraged expression. His eyes were cold and his voice, monotone. "Yes," was all he said. He stuck his arms into the leather holster that housed both of his Preventer-issued guns. "Does this mean you don't want my money?"
After a second, the prostitute looked away. Heero reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. He flung it onto the bed with casual disregard. Without another word, he strode out of the motel room and back onto the L2 streets.
The colony was dirtier than the L1 of his childhood, and an abomination compared to the rolling hills and blue skies of Relena's world. Heero kicked a trash can as he walked. There she went, popping into his random thoughts again. Apparently, it wasn't as easy as a quick lay to clear his mind. In one way or another, she was always there.
He reached Duo's apartment twenty minutes later, and instantly cursed himself for not taking a hotel room of his own for the length of his stay. Duo Maxwell was a friend and fellow war survivor, but he was the single most annoying person on the planet, at least to Heero. Still, everyone else, with the possible exception of Chang Wufei, seemed to get a kick out of him. And at least one woman liked him enough to marry him and let him get her pregnant.
That same woman was awake despite the late hour when he let himself into the apartment. Hilde Maxwell was laid out on the couch in the living room, flipping through infomercials and old re-runs. One slender arm was draped across her rounded stomach. She looked up as he came in. "Heero…we were getting worried about you."
He couldn't imagine why; he was a trained assassin. How much of a threat could anyone pose to him? "I was out."
She struggled to sit up. "So we gathered. Did you have a good time?"
"I wouldn't go that far." Heero shed his holster. "Where's Maxwell?"
"Asleep. It is after two, Heero." Hilde hid a delicate yawn behind her hand. "The baby is playing soccer with my internal organs."
He'd never been around pregnant women before, but if Hilde was any indication as to what they were like, he'd just as soon never be around another. While it was true that her pregnancy had given her a fair amount of glow, it had also given her some sort of license to say whatever was on her mind.
He knew because for the past two weeks, he'd been subjected to a Relena-discussion every couple of days.
And apparently, that night wasn't going to be any different. "I saw something on the late news a little while ago about Relena," she began.
"Hn," was all the reply he gave her as he moved into the kitchen.
Undaunted, Hilde eased off the couch and waddled his way. "She's going to be traveling here within the next few days. Early campaigning." Hilde watched him as he pulled turkey, ham and cheese out of the fridge. "Maybe I can convince her to have dinner with us one night."
Heero fashioned a sandwich with two slices of bread and took a bite. "She won't have time."
"Duo can be very persuasive."
"Do what you want." He finished his snack in three more bites. "I'm not going to be here."
Hilde blinked. "What? Are you planning to leave?"
"That's the general idea."
After a long second, Duo's wife reached out and punched his arm with more force than her petite frame would have indicated she'd be capable of. He found himself almost wincing. "And that was for what?" he asked between his teeth.
"You are such an idiot! I can't believe you'd rather pick up a hooker…don't think I can't smell that cheap perfume on you…than make any contact with the one woman in the world who's brave enough to offer you her heart!" Hilde's pale blue eyes sparkled with indignation. "Or maybe she's just as idiotic as you."
Heero gave her a cold look. "She's not an idiot."
"Then what is she? Heero? What is she to you?"
He was saved from having to formulate an answer by Duo's sudden entrance. He padded into the kitchen on bare feet, wearing only pajama bottoms. His braid was mussed. "What's goin' on?" he mumbled, sleepily.
"Nothing," Heero answered.
At the same time, Hilde replied, "Heero's leaving before Relena gets here because he can't face her."
"Relena's coming here?"
"You know, my every movement is not dictated by Relena Peacecraft." Heero faced off with the pregnant woman. "It happens that I have other places to be."
Hilde folded her arms. "Like where?"
Duo held up his hand. "Am I invited to the argument?"
"Once this damned forced vacation is over, I have work waiting for me back on Earth."
"Why do you have such an enormous problem admitting that you care about her? It's not like everyone else can't see it written all over your face!"
"Okay, babe." Duo took a gentle hold on his wife's arm. "He's gonna do his own thing, no matter what we say. He'll die alone and miserable, but that's just the way it's gonna be."
Heero's eyes narrowed. "No one asked for your opinion, Maxwell."
"That's usually why I have to give it away freely. So, you don't think the road you're heading down will lead to a lifetime of solitary misery? Wake up, man."
"I knew it was a mistake to come here."
Duo shrugged his bare shoulders. "Like you had anywhere else to go." He tugged on Hilde's arm. "No more waiting up for Heero. You and the baby need sleep."
She continued to glare at Heero even as she was pulled out of the kitchen, towards their bedroom. "You'll regret all of this, you know. Maybe not any time soon…but someday!"
Heero shook his head as he tugged off his shirt, heading for the bathroom for a hot shower. His choices were his to make and they were long since set in stone.
****
The morning it all happened began no differently than any other morning. Relena started her day with tea, croissants and a detailed update on the current state of affairs. She wasn't particularly hungry that day, but it didn't worry her. She sipped her tea, paid attention to the update, and prepared to head to the office to start in on the piles of paperwork she'd been unable to finish the day before.
It was a comfortable, if dull routine. Many people probably thought that being President was like reclaiming her title as Princess and nothing more than an endless existence of lavish balls, expensive gowns and glittering jewels. They never saw the ink stains on her hands after signing thirty or forty documents. The people were never watching when she had to decide between an orphanage and a halfway house when drawing up budget proposals. They never witnessed her fighting tooth and nail to keep the peace the whole world had enjoyed for eight years.
And they were never around when it all became too much and just for a moment, she laid her head down on the polished wood surface of her desk and cried.
She entered the Presidential suite with her entourage and immediately her personal assistant thrust a few letters into her hands. "I'm sorry, Madam President," she apologized. "These seemed personal."
"It's all right." Relena took them with a tired smile. "I'll take care of them."
Once she was inside her office, she let out a little sigh. Technically speaking, she probably should have fired the woman quite awhile ago. She had very little self-confidence in her own abilities, which wasn't exactly misguided considering that she couldn't type all that well and sometimes forgot to give Relena important phone messages. But Relena didn't like to give up on anyone.
Why else would her heart still be holding out for a man who'd given up on her from the moment they met?
Her desk sat in the middle of the huge room; she walked to it and sat down in the comfortable chair she'd insisted on having. If she was going to spend her life behind this desk, she wasn't about to spend it in physical misery. She set the mail down with the other piles of already opened correspondence. They all awaited her approval and signature, but she ignored them.
A headache was already forming and she'd only been there for two minutes. With another sigh, Relena reached for comm system. "Karen," she addressed her absent-minded assistant in the other room. "Will you bring me some tea, please?"
"Yes, ma'am."
While she waited, Relena reached for the letters Karen had handed her. The first two were personal mail, an invitation to an ambassador's daughter's birthday party that would have to politely refused. The other was a letter from Quatre Winner. They wrote to one another on a fairly regular basis, although the blonde CEO of Winner Industrial Corporation was a much better pen pal than she. Smiling, Relena set the letter aside without reading it. Personal time came at the end of the day.
The third and final piece of mail was in a blank envelope with no return address. Relena was puzzled by this, but not particularly worried. All of her incoming mail went through extremely fine metal scanners and bio-hazard prevention measures. She slit it open with her fingernail and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.
The message was short, but clear. Relena put a hand to her mouth; the letter fluttered to the floor.
Her years in the political limelight kept her from panicking. But it was still a shaking hand that reached for the comm button again. "Karen." Relena licked her dry lips. "Instead of the tea, could you please contact Lady Une at the Preventer's office?" She blinked back tears. "And after that...would you try to get a message through to my brother on Mars? I need…I need to talk to him."
****
Heero's return to Preventer Headquarters went over without ceremony. He'd only been gone for two weeks, after all, forced to take all of his stored-up vacation time all at once. The psychiatrist every Preventer was required to see on a semi-annual basis had issued the order; Heero had been less than enthused about the idea.
So he'd roughed up an informant who was less than forthcoming with his information. How could he do his job and do it well if he had to stop and think before acting?
He'd been recruited into the organization for his efforts in the Eve Wars, and had only accepted in order to give his life some purpose. At the time, he had refused to even acknowledge that he already had a purpose, a single woman whose safety he valued above his own. But with her election to the Presidency, her direct safety had been taken out of his hands. It was just as well, he figured. If he were to get too close to a particular subject, it would be far worse than losing control with a deadbeat informant.
By sheer coincidence, he shared a cramped office on the third floor with Chang Wufei. Actually it probably wasn't a coincidence; the higher powers were fully aware of both of their backgrounds and likely thought that another Gundam pilot was the best candidate to keep him in line. Heero didn't care. Wufei rarely talked at work and certainly never questioned his methods of interrogation and investigation, as his own weren't exactly always by-the-book. In four years, they'd established a grudging trust and wary friendship. Certainly, he was the polar opposite of Duo, and after two weeks at the Maxwell house, Heero was looking forward to Wufei's stoicism.
But the office was empty when Heero entered with his coffee. He took note of this, dismissed it, and went to his desk. Everything was exactly as he'd left it two weeks earlier, with the exception of a neat stack of paperwork that waited for him.
He had just sat down and reached to turn on his computer when Wufei appeared in the door. "What are you doing here?" he asked, without greeting. "Didn't you read the memo?"
"I haven't even looked at my messages yet," Heero replied.
"We're meeting with Une in two and a half minutes." Wufei paused. "Code Alpha."
Heero frowned. Alpha was the designation reserved for assignments that were highly classified, and usually dealt with security threats in the highest branches of the government. The Preventers were only called for such cases when the investigation was expected to extend beyond Earth.
There was no point in asking what was going on. Even if Wufei knew, he certainly couldn't talk about it in such an unsecured location. Heero simply downed what he could of his coffee and followed his partner to the elevators that would take them to Une's private office at the top of the building.
****
"How are you feeling, Madam President?"
Relena accepted a glass of water from Lady Une and tried to smile. "I'm fine. Truly."
The woman seemed to doubt this, but didn't press any further. They had an interesting history going all the way back to when the highest political figure who was now sitting at her desk had been a slip of a fifteen year-old girl, and she herself had been, quite literally, a different person under the influence of Treize Kushrenada. Relena seemed willing to forget the past, how Une had been responsible for her adopted father's death and the mobile suit attacks she'd enacted on her; certainly she could forgive the child who'd come after her with a gun, revenge foremost on her mind.
The past was in the past, and it was the future they had to worry about now. Une paced back and forth in front of her desk. "I've assigned the best team possible to head up the investigation."
"I trust the Preventers," Relena said, setting her water aside untouched. "If anyone can…solve this, it's your people, Lady Une."
"What have your own security teams decided to do?"
The younger woman folded her hands in her lap. "They haven't decided anything. They're still debating the best course of action. Truthfully, I can't imagine they've ever even thought about this sort of situation. I know I…" Her steady voice faltered. "I never have."
Lady Une was at a loss. Emotions were not her strong suit even now, but it was obvious the President needed some sort of human contact. She reached out an awkward hand and patted Relena's shoulder. "We'll find who did this. I promise you that."
Tears shimmered in Relena's clear blue eyes. "Thank you."
There was a short, but firm knock on Une's office door. She had little doubt about who it was; only two men had clearance to get through the myriad of bodyguards who'd accompanied the President to this meeting. "Enter," she ordered.
Relena quickly wiped at her eyes. She didn't want to meet the Preventers who'd been assigned to this investigation looking like a weak woman. First impressions were so important, and she did have an image to uphold.
She took a breath, looked up when the door opened and instantly froze.
Heero entered the office with a formal ease; he was in his element. Controlled, confident, ice-cool. She knew that veneer as well as she knew his face.
But it faltered somewhat when his steely gaze landed on her, like he was surprised. She would have smiled had she fully recovered from the impact of seeing him for the first time in four years; it wasn't everyone who could surprise Heero Yuy.
"Have a seat, Commanders." Une gestured to the hard seats in front of her desk. It was only when she addressed them that Relena realized Heero wasn't alone. A man of obvious Asian descent was with Heero; she was fairly certain they'd never met, but it almost seemed like she should have recognized him.
He and Heero did as they were ordered. Relena could feel the strange man's eyes sizing her up, but Heero's gaze remained fixed at some spot just over her shoulder. She swallowed. He wouldn't even look at her.
"Security lockdown on this office," Une instructed the computer system. "Authorization, AlphaUnePi." She glanced at Relena. "We can speak freely now. These are Commanders Yuy and Chang. Commanders, President Relena Peacecraft."
Relena crossed one slim leg over the other. "Commander Yuy and I have met before."
"Of course. I remember now."
"It's good to see you again, though, Heero." When Heero said nothing, Relena forced herself to look at the other man. "Commander Chang, let me thank you in advance for your help."
He nodded curtly. "Madam President."
Heero glanced at his superior officer. "What is our assignment?"
Une went to speak, but Relena cut her off. "Allow me, Lady Une." After taking a breath, Relena reached for her leather briefcase and pulled out a thin file folder. She held it out to the men, but only Wufei reached for it. "This is copy of a letter I received at my office two days ago. There was obviously no return address and my personal assistant could only say that it was on her desk when she arrived that morning. The security cameras noted nothing out of the ordinary the night before."
Wufei skimmed over the short message and looked back up at Relena. "Is what is says true?"
"Yes." She inhaled a shaky breath, trying to keep her hands still in her lap. Fear would consume her, and she needed to stay clear-headed. "My doctors confirmed it just yesterday."
"Confirmed what?" Heero snatched the letter from his partner and gave it a quick read. After a moment, his gaze drifted up and locked onto Relena's for the first time. "It's real?"
Relena nodded, fighting back all of her pent-up emotions. "It's real. I've been poisoned."
****
To Be Continued
Author's Notes: This is a brand new story, as you already know;) It's a cannon fic that I hope you'll enjoy! Happy reading:)
****
Be My Downfall
by Kristen Elizabeth
****
"May I just say, Miss Relena, tonight has been simply wonderful."
"You may." Relena Peacecraft's smile was as fixed as a marble statue and just as fake. The man currently kissing the back of her hand didn't seem to notice, however. The Environmental Minister was in his own little world, completely unaware that he'd just spent three hours talking pretty much to himself. He'd listed his accomplishments, told stories that were only humorous to him, and Relena had put up with all of it. But even her immeasurable patience was reaching its limits. "Goodnight, Marvin."
Even as she started opening the limousine's door, he held on. His chubby face was eager, and might have been almost endearing if not for the receding hairline and crooked teeth. "Might I take you out again sometime soon?"
She literally had to bite her tongue to keep her smile on her face, and to keep from flinging back some extremely sarcastic reply. "I'll have to check my calendar." Relena yanked her hand out of his slightly clammy grip and got out of the car. "Thank you for dinner."
The sleek black car pulled away; Relena turned on her heel and ran up the steps of the mansion she'd called home for the past three years. Once inside the grand foyer, she slammed the front door closed and sank against it, one hand pressed against her forehead. "I can't do this anymore!"
No one was around to hear the Earth Space United Nations President's declaration, not even her old and trusted butler, Paygan, who had likely long since gone to bed. She had come home, once again, to a silent house after yet another horrific first date.
She hated it. So much of her life was spent all alone, even when she was surrounded by people. Maybe that was why she kept accepting these dates. Some little part of her still clung to the hope that one of these young, upwardly professional, aristocratic men might be able to give her what she most wanted. A home instead of a house, children to care for, love to fill the empty places in her heart.
Everything that *he* couldn't. Wouldn't.
Relena started up the staircase, the length of gauzy organdy that had served as her stole trailing after her. At twenty-three, she appeared to have so much. She was just finishing up her first term as President after years of serving as Vice Foreign Minister, then Foreign Minister. And she was heading into elections for her second term. She was, without a doubt, the most respected person in interspatial politics. She lived in a home built for royalty. She was beautiful; she had admirers by the dozens.
And she was miserably unhappy.
Her bedroom was just as empty as the rest of the house. The bed had been turned down for the night and after discarding her jewels, her designer dress and the spiked heels that had been slowly killing her feet, Relena slid under the covers in only her satin underwear. She glanced over at the second fluffy pillow next to her.
"Are you sleeping alone tonight, Heero?" she asked out loud.
Because the thought that he might not be cut her to the core, Relena closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to envelop her. It didn't, and she was left with the disturbing idea of Heero in bed with another woman. It wasn't unlikely that he'd moved on, even if she hadn't. After all, it had been almost four years since she had seen him. The press conference announcing her decision to run for President. He'd still been with the Preventers then. Was he even now? She had no idea. She'd lost contact with them. The Preventers weren't involved in her security anymore; the President was guarded by a much more specialized branch of the military. She still communicated with Lady Une on a fairly regular basis, but as for the rest of them, they all lived separate lives now.
Except for her. She was barely living at all.
****
As Relena was staring at an empty pillow thinking of him, Heero Yuy was staring at a bleach-blonde head resting across from him, planning his escape. He couldn't say what had compelled him to go to bed with the woman; he wasn't even sure he knew her name. She was just there, like a punching bag. Something to use in order to purge unwanted emotions.
He sat up, swung his legs over the edge of the bed and ran both of his hands through his hair. What had brought on the sudden urge that had driven him here? Relena. A speech of hers that he'd caught on the international news network. Seeing her in her prim little business suit with her perfect hair pulled back from the face he'd so often wished he could erase from his memory, but would rather die than actually forget...it brought everything back.
With a low growl, Heero threw off the covers and stood up, naked in the moonlight. As he started for his clothes, the woman in the bed stirred. "Hey. Where are you going?"
He didn't look back. He only pulled on his jeans, zipping up as he replied, "I'm leaving."
"C'mon, stay. I'm always up for more...as long as you are."
Heero tugged on his black sweater. "The night's not over. You'll find another client."
"You fucking bastard."
He finally turned around, as immune now to her voluptuous nude body wrapped in the sheets as he was to her enraged expression. His eyes were cold and his voice, monotone. "Yes," was all he said. He stuck his arms into the leather holster that housed both of his Preventer-issued guns. "Does this mean you don't want my money?"
After a second, the prostitute looked away. Heero reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. He flung it onto the bed with casual disregard. Without another word, he strode out of the motel room and back onto the L2 streets.
The colony was dirtier than the L1 of his childhood, and an abomination compared to the rolling hills and blue skies of Relena's world. Heero kicked a trash can as he walked. There she went, popping into his random thoughts again. Apparently, it wasn't as easy as a quick lay to clear his mind. In one way or another, she was always there.
He reached Duo's apartment twenty minutes later, and instantly cursed himself for not taking a hotel room of his own for the length of his stay. Duo Maxwell was a friend and fellow war survivor, but he was the single most annoying person on the planet, at least to Heero. Still, everyone else, with the possible exception of Chang Wufei, seemed to get a kick out of him. And at least one woman liked him enough to marry him and let him get her pregnant.
That same woman was awake despite the late hour when he let himself into the apartment. Hilde Maxwell was laid out on the couch in the living room, flipping through infomercials and old re-runs. One slender arm was draped across her rounded stomach. She looked up as he came in. "Heero…we were getting worried about you."
He couldn't imagine why; he was a trained assassin. How much of a threat could anyone pose to him? "I was out."
She struggled to sit up. "So we gathered. Did you have a good time?"
"I wouldn't go that far." Heero shed his holster. "Where's Maxwell?"
"Asleep. It is after two, Heero." Hilde hid a delicate yawn behind her hand. "The baby is playing soccer with my internal organs."
He'd never been around pregnant women before, but if Hilde was any indication as to what they were like, he'd just as soon never be around another. While it was true that her pregnancy had given her a fair amount of glow, it had also given her some sort of license to say whatever was on her mind.
He knew because for the past two weeks, he'd been subjected to a Relena-discussion every couple of days.
And apparently, that night wasn't going to be any different. "I saw something on the late news a little while ago about Relena," she began.
"Hn," was all the reply he gave her as he moved into the kitchen.
Undaunted, Hilde eased off the couch and waddled his way. "She's going to be traveling here within the next few days. Early campaigning." Hilde watched him as he pulled turkey, ham and cheese out of the fridge. "Maybe I can convince her to have dinner with us one night."
Heero fashioned a sandwich with two slices of bread and took a bite. "She won't have time."
"Duo can be very persuasive."
"Do what you want." He finished his snack in three more bites. "I'm not going to be here."
Hilde blinked. "What? Are you planning to leave?"
"That's the general idea."
After a long second, Duo's wife reached out and punched his arm with more force than her petite frame would have indicated she'd be capable of. He found himself almost wincing. "And that was for what?" he asked between his teeth.
"You are such an idiot! I can't believe you'd rather pick up a hooker…don't think I can't smell that cheap perfume on you…than make any contact with the one woman in the world who's brave enough to offer you her heart!" Hilde's pale blue eyes sparkled with indignation. "Or maybe she's just as idiotic as you."
Heero gave her a cold look. "She's not an idiot."
"Then what is she? Heero? What is she to you?"
He was saved from having to formulate an answer by Duo's sudden entrance. He padded into the kitchen on bare feet, wearing only pajama bottoms. His braid was mussed. "What's goin' on?" he mumbled, sleepily.
"Nothing," Heero answered.
At the same time, Hilde replied, "Heero's leaving before Relena gets here because he can't face her."
"Relena's coming here?"
"You know, my every movement is not dictated by Relena Peacecraft." Heero faced off with the pregnant woman. "It happens that I have other places to be."
Hilde folded her arms. "Like where?"
Duo held up his hand. "Am I invited to the argument?"
"Once this damned forced vacation is over, I have work waiting for me back on Earth."
"Why do you have such an enormous problem admitting that you care about her? It's not like everyone else can't see it written all over your face!"
"Okay, babe." Duo took a gentle hold on his wife's arm. "He's gonna do his own thing, no matter what we say. He'll die alone and miserable, but that's just the way it's gonna be."
Heero's eyes narrowed. "No one asked for your opinion, Maxwell."
"That's usually why I have to give it away freely. So, you don't think the road you're heading down will lead to a lifetime of solitary misery? Wake up, man."
"I knew it was a mistake to come here."
Duo shrugged his bare shoulders. "Like you had anywhere else to go." He tugged on Hilde's arm. "No more waiting up for Heero. You and the baby need sleep."
She continued to glare at Heero even as she was pulled out of the kitchen, towards their bedroom. "You'll regret all of this, you know. Maybe not any time soon…but someday!"
Heero shook his head as he tugged off his shirt, heading for the bathroom for a hot shower. His choices were his to make and they were long since set in stone.
****
The morning it all happened began no differently than any other morning. Relena started her day with tea, croissants and a detailed update on the current state of affairs. She wasn't particularly hungry that day, but it didn't worry her. She sipped her tea, paid attention to the update, and prepared to head to the office to start in on the piles of paperwork she'd been unable to finish the day before.
It was a comfortable, if dull routine. Many people probably thought that being President was like reclaiming her title as Princess and nothing more than an endless existence of lavish balls, expensive gowns and glittering jewels. They never saw the ink stains on her hands after signing thirty or forty documents. The people were never watching when she had to decide between an orphanage and a halfway house when drawing up budget proposals. They never witnessed her fighting tooth and nail to keep the peace the whole world had enjoyed for eight years.
And they were never around when it all became too much and just for a moment, she laid her head down on the polished wood surface of her desk and cried.
She entered the Presidential suite with her entourage and immediately her personal assistant thrust a few letters into her hands. "I'm sorry, Madam President," she apologized. "These seemed personal."
"It's all right." Relena took them with a tired smile. "I'll take care of them."
Once she was inside her office, she let out a little sigh. Technically speaking, she probably should have fired the woman quite awhile ago. She had very little self-confidence in her own abilities, which wasn't exactly misguided considering that she couldn't type all that well and sometimes forgot to give Relena important phone messages. But Relena didn't like to give up on anyone.
Why else would her heart still be holding out for a man who'd given up on her from the moment they met?
Her desk sat in the middle of the huge room; she walked to it and sat down in the comfortable chair she'd insisted on having. If she was going to spend her life behind this desk, she wasn't about to spend it in physical misery. She set the mail down with the other piles of already opened correspondence. They all awaited her approval and signature, but she ignored them.
A headache was already forming and she'd only been there for two minutes. With another sigh, Relena reached for comm system. "Karen," she addressed her absent-minded assistant in the other room. "Will you bring me some tea, please?"
"Yes, ma'am."
While she waited, Relena reached for the letters Karen had handed her. The first two were personal mail, an invitation to an ambassador's daughter's birthday party that would have to politely refused. The other was a letter from Quatre Winner. They wrote to one another on a fairly regular basis, although the blonde CEO of Winner Industrial Corporation was a much better pen pal than she. Smiling, Relena set the letter aside without reading it. Personal time came at the end of the day.
The third and final piece of mail was in a blank envelope with no return address. Relena was puzzled by this, but not particularly worried. All of her incoming mail went through extremely fine metal scanners and bio-hazard prevention measures. She slit it open with her fingernail and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.
The message was short, but clear. Relena put a hand to her mouth; the letter fluttered to the floor.
Her years in the political limelight kept her from panicking. But it was still a shaking hand that reached for the comm button again. "Karen." Relena licked her dry lips. "Instead of the tea, could you please contact Lady Une at the Preventer's office?" She blinked back tears. "And after that...would you try to get a message through to my brother on Mars? I need…I need to talk to him."
****
Heero's return to Preventer Headquarters went over without ceremony. He'd only been gone for two weeks, after all, forced to take all of his stored-up vacation time all at once. The psychiatrist every Preventer was required to see on a semi-annual basis had issued the order; Heero had been less than enthused about the idea.
So he'd roughed up an informant who was less than forthcoming with his information. How could he do his job and do it well if he had to stop and think before acting?
He'd been recruited into the organization for his efforts in the Eve Wars, and had only accepted in order to give his life some purpose. At the time, he had refused to even acknowledge that he already had a purpose, a single woman whose safety he valued above his own. But with her election to the Presidency, her direct safety had been taken out of his hands. It was just as well, he figured. If he were to get too close to a particular subject, it would be far worse than losing control with a deadbeat informant.
By sheer coincidence, he shared a cramped office on the third floor with Chang Wufei. Actually it probably wasn't a coincidence; the higher powers were fully aware of both of their backgrounds and likely thought that another Gundam pilot was the best candidate to keep him in line. Heero didn't care. Wufei rarely talked at work and certainly never questioned his methods of interrogation and investigation, as his own weren't exactly always by-the-book. In four years, they'd established a grudging trust and wary friendship. Certainly, he was the polar opposite of Duo, and after two weeks at the Maxwell house, Heero was looking forward to Wufei's stoicism.
But the office was empty when Heero entered with his coffee. He took note of this, dismissed it, and went to his desk. Everything was exactly as he'd left it two weeks earlier, with the exception of a neat stack of paperwork that waited for him.
He had just sat down and reached to turn on his computer when Wufei appeared in the door. "What are you doing here?" he asked, without greeting. "Didn't you read the memo?"
"I haven't even looked at my messages yet," Heero replied.
"We're meeting with Une in two and a half minutes." Wufei paused. "Code Alpha."
Heero frowned. Alpha was the designation reserved for assignments that were highly classified, and usually dealt with security threats in the highest branches of the government. The Preventers were only called for such cases when the investigation was expected to extend beyond Earth.
There was no point in asking what was going on. Even if Wufei knew, he certainly couldn't talk about it in such an unsecured location. Heero simply downed what he could of his coffee and followed his partner to the elevators that would take them to Une's private office at the top of the building.
****
"How are you feeling, Madam President?"
Relena accepted a glass of water from Lady Une and tried to smile. "I'm fine. Truly."
The woman seemed to doubt this, but didn't press any further. They had an interesting history going all the way back to when the highest political figure who was now sitting at her desk had been a slip of a fifteen year-old girl, and she herself had been, quite literally, a different person under the influence of Treize Kushrenada. Relena seemed willing to forget the past, how Une had been responsible for her adopted father's death and the mobile suit attacks she'd enacted on her; certainly she could forgive the child who'd come after her with a gun, revenge foremost on her mind.
The past was in the past, and it was the future they had to worry about now. Une paced back and forth in front of her desk. "I've assigned the best team possible to head up the investigation."
"I trust the Preventers," Relena said, setting her water aside untouched. "If anyone can…solve this, it's your people, Lady Une."
"What have your own security teams decided to do?"
The younger woman folded her hands in her lap. "They haven't decided anything. They're still debating the best course of action. Truthfully, I can't imagine they've ever even thought about this sort of situation. I know I…" Her steady voice faltered. "I never have."
Lady Une was at a loss. Emotions were not her strong suit even now, but it was obvious the President needed some sort of human contact. She reached out an awkward hand and patted Relena's shoulder. "We'll find who did this. I promise you that."
Tears shimmered in Relena's clear blue eyes. "Thank you."
There was a short, but firm knock on Une's office door. She had little doubt about who it was; only two men had clearance to get through the myriad of bodyguards who'd accompanied the President to this meeting. "Enter," she ordered.
Relena quickly wiped at her eyes. She didn't want to meet the Preventers who'd been assigned to this investigation looking like a weak woman. First impressions were so important, and she did have an image to uphold.
She took a breath, looked up when the door opened and instantly froze.
Heero entered the office with a formal ease; he was in his element. Controlled, confident, ice-cool. She knew that veneer as well as she knew his face.
But it faltered somewhat when his steely gaze landed on her, like he was surprised. She would have smiled had she fully recovered from the impact of seeing him for the first time in four years; it wasn't everyone who could surprise Heero Yuy.
"Have a seat, Commanders." Une gestured to the hard seats in front of her desk. It was only when she addressed them that Relena realized Heero wasn't alone. A man of obvious Asian descent was with Heero; she was fairly certain they'd never met, but it almost seemed like she should have recognized him.
He and Heero did as they were ordered. Relena could feel the strange man's eyes sizing her up, but Heero's gaze remained fixed at some spot just over her shoulder. She swallowed. He wouldn't even look at her.
"Security lockdown on this office," Une instructed the computer system. "Authorization, AlphaUnePi." She glanced at Relena. "We can speak freely now. These are Commanders Yuy and Chang. Commanders, President Relena Peacecraft."
Relena crossed one slim leg over the other. "Commander Yuy and I have met before."
"Of course. I remember now."
"It's good to see you again, though, Heero." When Heero said nothing, Relena forced herself to look at the other man. "Commander Chang, let me thank you in advance for your help."
He nodded curtly. "Madam President."
Heero glanced at his superior officer. "What is our assignment?"
Une went to speak, but Relena cut her off. "Allow me, Lady Une." After taking a breath, Relena reached for her leather briefcase and pulled out a thin file folder. She held it out to the men, but only Wufei reached for it. "This is copy of a letter I received at my office two days ago. There was obviously no return address and my personal assistant could only say that it was on her desk when she arrived that morning. The security cameras noted nothing out of the ordinary the night before."
Wufei skimmed over the short message and looked back up at Relena. "Is what is says true?"
"Yes." She inhaled a shaky breath, trying to keep her hands still in her lap. Fear would consume her, and she needed to stay clear-headed. "My doctors confirmed it just yesterday."
"Confirmed what?" Heero snatched the letter from his partner and gave it a quick read. After a moment, his gaze drifted up and locked onto Relena's for the first time. "It's real?"
Relena nodded, fighting back all of her pent-up emotions. "It's real. I've been poisoned."
****
To Be Continued